Lu Fan scrambled ashore clutching a large fish, only to find Shen Xinyi huffily re-dressing. "Alas! If only I'd known not to go so far to catch fish!"
"Ru Yan! Were you doing that on purpose?" Shen Xinyi stomped over to confront Liu Ru Yan.
"Heh heh! I was just too focused on the big fish! How about I give you half of this fish later?" Liu Ru Yan giggled, pressing her lips together.
"Sister Xinyi! It's so dark! Hahaha!" Lu Fan exclaimed with a laugh.
"Scram... go catch more fish!" Shen Xinyi kicked at Lu Fan, likely annoyed that the boy had seen her black lace.
What was even more infuriating was that he was only wearing swim trunks, which, wet and clinging to his body, were practically nonexistent. This was blatant indecency!
Kicked, Lu Fan grinned and ran back into the river to continue fishing.
"Xinyi! The river water here is truly wonderful. The environment is so beautiful. Wouldn't it be great to build a villa here!" Liu Ru Yan suddenly gazed at the Twelve Bends River and the surrounding mountains, speaking with deep emotion.
"The scenery here is indeed beautiful! If I could build a villa here, I'd definitely divert the river water to build a very, very large swimming pool!" Shen Xinyi replied with equal sentiment.
"This river seems to flow from those mountains. There are no villages further ahead, so the water here is barely polluted, making it crystal clear. This is a rare and excellent place. I hope the environment is never spoiled!" Liu Ru Yan looked at a faint white ribbon winding down from the distant mountains, which was likely the river's source.
In the river, Lu Fan's eyes suddenly lit up. Having stayed in these mountains for so long, he'd overlooked their beauty until prompted by the two women! As he swam, he gazed at the verdant, rolling mountain ranges. Should he build his house by the river? And construct a large swimming pool...
A warm image suddenly filled Lu Fan's mind: himself sitting in a pavilion, admiring a large swimming pool filled with a crowd of scantily clad beauties frolicking within...
Huh? Suddenly, Lu Fan noticed a mountain in the distance. From this angle, its summit resembled an eagle's beak! This... seemed somewhat familiar!
Lu Fan abruptly recalled the sheepskin scroll map he had obtained from under the stone tablet at Luoyan Gate. That map seemed to feature this very peak.
With that thought, Lu Fan hastily retrieved the sheepskin scroll and compared it to the mountain peak. Indeed, the map instantly became clearer.
However, the coordinates on the map were clearly located within the river. Yet, the map didn't show this river. What was going on? What did these coordinates represent? Could it be treasure?
The thought excited Lu Fan. Getting rich was, after all, the most delightful prospect.
Putting the map away, Lu Fan swam back and forth in the river. The river wasn't particularly large, but finding the precise coordinates wasn't easy. Moreover, the landmarks indicated next to the coordinates on the map had evidently been submerged by the river, making them impossible to find.
"That's not right? Why would the map specifically depict that Eagle Beak Peak? As the saying goes, 'looking at a mountain is like chasing a horse to death.' From here, you can only see the summit of the Eagle Beak Peak, and the distance is not ordinary. Could that be the best marker?" Lu Fan's mind suddenly stirred, and he fixed his gaze on the Eagle Beak Peak, swimming back and forth in the river.
Here! Lu Fan stopped abruptly. Stopping here, he could just make out a faint reflection of light on the eagle's beak of the Eagle Beak Peak! Lu Fan didn't know how the light originated, but from any other angle, it was invisible.
*Whoosh...* Lu Fan plunged towards the riverbed.
The river here was over two meters deep, likely the deepest part of the river. Fearing danger, the adults in the village generally forbade children from coming to this spot. However, Lu Fan naturally had no such concerns.
Submerging himself, he saw only river stones, with nothing seemingly out of the ordinary! Yet, Lu Fan didn't give up. Holding his breath, he searched among the stones. He overturned a pile of stones, creating a large pit, and finally discovered something resembling an iron box.
On the bank, Shen Xinyi watched Lu Fan swim back and forth in the river, seemingly with no intention of coming ashore. She then took off her pants again and laid them aside to dry. Clad in a small black lace, she sat nearby, sunbathing.
Since the boy had already seen, and from such a distance, she scoffed! It was a wasted glance! Let him crave!
Liu Ru Yan sat on Shen Xinyi's other side, ensuring Shen Xinyi wouldn't be fully exposed if any villagers happened by. As for her own "beast," well! Wasn't it said that fertile water shouldn't flow to outsiders? If they were on a beach, with the beauties wearing minimal clothing, wouldn't it be natural for others to see them?
"Huh? Your beast seems to have disappeared for a while?" Shen Xinyi suddenly called out.
"Yes! He... could something have happened to him?" Liu Ru Yan's eyes were fixed on the river surface. He hadn't caught another fish all this time. She had assumed he was deliberately giving Shen Xinyi time to dry her clothes. But now, there was no movement?
"Don't worry, I'll go check!" Shen Xinyi leaped up and ran into the river wearing her little lace. At this moment, it seemed she couldn't afford to be so concerned.
"Lu Fan... Lu Fan...!" Liu Ru Yan, also unable to hold back, rushed into the river.
"Ru Yan! The water looks very deep over there, don't come! If both of you get into trouble, I won't be able to handle it," Shen Xinyi shouted to Liu Ru Yan before swimming towards where Lu Fan had disappeared.
Upon hearing this, Liu Ru Yan stopped abruptly. Knowing Shen Xinyi was an excellent swimmer, while she herself was significantly less skilled, she realized that not causing trouble was the best way to help.
Shen Xinyi swam to the spot where Lu Fan had vanished, took a deep breath, and plunged to the riverbed. There, she saw Lu Fan with his backside up, seemingly digging furiously at something.
Shen Xinyi hurried over and discovered that Lu Fan had already dug a large pit in the riverbed's sand and gravel, revealing a dark iron box. Shen Xinyi quickly came to help. *Whoosh...* Both of them surfaced from the river.
Seeing them emerge, Liu Ru Yan felt relieved. She quickly retreated to the bank, took off her wet shoes, and placed them aside.
As Lu Fan and Shen Xinyi climbed out of the river, Liu Ru Yan's small face flushed crimson. Shen Xinyi's undergarments, originally sheer lace, now clung to her body as if she were wearing nothing at all. And at that moment, the two of them were holding a black iron box, completely oblivious to their state of undress...
Liu Ru Yan grabbed Shen Xinyi's pants and rushed over, thrusting them into Shen Xinyi's hands while using her body to shield Shen Xinyi from behind.
Shen Xinyi looked down at her embarrassing predicament and instantly blushed, her pretty face burning. In a few quick movements, she pulled on her pants.
"Did I miss a scenic view? Sister Xinyi! How about you put them on again!" Lu Fan feigned realization and said with a grin. In truth, he had already seen Shen Xinyi's graceful figure in the water. However, in such matters, it was best to pretend he hadn't seen anything!
"Scram!" Shen Xinyi glared fiercely at Lu Fan, blaming him for her revealing herself out of nervousness.
"Lu Fan! What did you find?" Liu Ru Yan broke the awkward silence.
"I don't know, maybe a box of treasures!" Lu Fan chuckled.
"Little Fan Brother... Little Fan Brother! Why aren't you playing with me!" Suddenly, Li Jingjing, along with Second Senior Sister and nine little pigs, also came running over.